Warrington Wolves captain George Williams has undergone the operation on his neck and posted a defiant message on his social media, promising that he is ‘not done just yet’.
Williams, 31, has gone in for surgery on a neck injury that could potentially end his season, and with it bring an end to his Warrington Wolves’ career, given the fact that the playmaker has signed an NRL deal for 2027.
Obviously, with the operation being on such a sensitive area of the body, the recovery timeline can vary massively but Wire boss Sam Burgess spoke last week to reveal that the ‘best-case’ scenario would be 16 weeks.
That would rule Williams out for almost all of the season but would see him back in time for the Super League play-offs and, from a national team point of view, the World Cup.
The Wire and England skipper is clearly keen for that and has now shared a positive update after surgery, taking to his Instagram from his hospital bed.
“Operation done. Road to recovery starts now… not done just yet!” posted Williams, alongside an image of him recovering as well as a graphic that said: “The pain be temporary but the comeback last forever.”
Motive for Brodie Croft Rhinos exit & Hull FC’s unwanted record – Click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
What Warrington Wolves’ boss said pre-surgery
If Williams is able to return this season then it would be a wonderful way for him to end his time at Warrington Wolves, with a possible shot at the play-offs but also with an opportunity to represent England at the World Cup.
Only time will tell if that’s possible though with Sam Burgess’ comments last week explaining just how uncertain a swift recovery is.
“The recovery, it’s not as simple as when the boys get shoulders or ankles done,” Burgess told BBC Radio Merseyside.
“There’s a bit more complexities around the neck, so I guess it’s minimum 12 weeks, and let’s say it’s minimum four weeks after that, so I’d say that would be the time frame at best case.
“Again, we’re not going to know until I’d say 8 or 10 weeks down the line, but I can say George is as healthy as he can be going into it, he looks almost healthy enough to play, so it’s not like he’s in pain or anything.”
With surgery now boxed off, Williams will set about the lengthy rehab process with Warrington Wolves and England fans hoping he can return this season.
View this post on Instagram
Anonymous
May 20, 2026 at 11:18 am
Surprise surprise back in time to play in World Cup